EVEN WITH CAPTAIN Caelan Doris missing through injury, the Irish back row looks competitive as ever.
Andy Farrell has usually turned to Jack Conan as the next in line at number eight, all the more so given that he brings leadership skills along with his ballast in contact.
Yet there have been nice selection options in the two flanker positions for Farrell, who is due to announce the Ireland match day 23 to face Australia early on Thursday morning Irish time.
Josh van der Flier is the incumbent at openside, but Nick Timoney had a big Six Nations this year, while the uncapped Bryn Ward is also in the squad on this Nations Championship tour.
Conan started Ireland’s most recent game at blindside flanker, so there will likely be a different face in that spot on Saturday in Sydney.
Connacht skipper Cian Prendergast has firmly put his hand up with his form for the western province, although Tadhg Beirne and Cormac Izuchukwu can also play at number six.
“The back row at the moment is very competitive,” said Ireland assistant coach Simon Easterby in Sydney.
“I think all of those guys, Cian, Nick, Sean, they’ve had very good seasons, and you want to make sure that that keeps pushing other guys, guys who are a little bit more experienced like your Josh, Jack, who have been here a little bit longer and obviously got a lot of caps.
“Then you’ve got players like Bryn Ward coming in, and he’s got that useful excitement about trying to push through the other guys.
“So I think it’s a real good mix at the moment in the back row. I think it’s strong, it’s competitive, and over the next couple of weeks I’m sure we’ll see more than one or two combinations.
“The more we can grow that depth and that experience over the next year, we’ll be in a much stronger place come the World Cup.”
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Cian Prendergast has put his hand up. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The Irish second row looks in fine nick too, with James Ryan and Joe McCarthy having been in strong form for Leinster. Beirne missed the end of the season with Munster but has been training with Ireland over the past week, while Darragh Murray of Connacht and Izuchukwu are further options.
With Andrew Porter ruled out due to injury, Tom O’Toole is fancied to continue at loosehead prop, where Jeremy Loughman is also back in the mix after missing the end of the Six Nations, and where the uncapped Billy Bohan is now pushing.
Ireland will be captained by Dan Sheehan at hooker, where Rónan Kelleher has been playing excellent rugby recently. At tighthead, the combination of Tadhg Furlong and Thomas Clarkson is well established.
Similarly to Sheehan, scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park looks like a nailed-on selection, but Farrell will like the extra bit of competition Nathan Doak has brought in this area, where Craig Casey is well established as number two in the pecking order.
Sam Prendergast started at out-half for Ireland when they beat Australia 46–19 last November in Dublin, and he is presumably on for another outing at number 10 following his strong finish to Leinster’s season and the absence of the injured Jack Crowley.
It will be interesting to see which one of Ciarán Frawley or Harry Byrne features in the Irish 23.
Garry Ringrose is the first-choice pick at outside centre, but Farrell has lots of contenders at inside centre, as usual. Stuart McCloskey is the hugely in-form incumbent at number 12, although he missed the run-in to Ulster’s season with a hamstring injury.
McCloskey has been training with Ireland in Sydney, but Farrell has other options here in Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and Jamie Osborne. Henshaw and Osborne can also play at 13.
The highly versatile Osborne is an option for the Irish back three too, having impressed at fullback during the Six Nations this year.
However, Hugo Keenan has returned from injury and will surely be in the number 15 jersey, while Robert Baloucoune looks a must-pick on the right wing after his major impact for Ireland during the Six Nations.
The left wing slot has looked up for grabs with James Lowe’s time in Irish rugby over, so Farrell’s selection there will be intriguing.
The experienced Jacob Stockdale started there twice in the Six Nations, Jimmy O’Brien has been in flying form for Leinster, and the athletic, left-footed Osborne has already played on the left wing for Ireland against France in the 2025 Six Nations.
Rob Baloucoune with Garry Ringrose at Ireland training. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The versatility of Osborne, Frawley and O’Brien has given Farrell and co. the chance to consider various combinations on the Irish bench, which featured both 6/2 and 5/3 selections during the Six Nations.
Whatever about the personnel, Ireland hope to continue the momentum they finished the Six Nations with.
“We built through the Six Nations pretty well,” said Easterby.
“A good performance against Scotland [to clinch the Triple Crown]. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s important that we don’t take a step back and we keep pushing forward and keep getting better.”
That campaign started poorly for Ireland as they underperformed with a kick-heavy game plan away to France, but they played more exciting and effective rugby as the championship progressed.
The current shape of rugby seems to suit attack-minded sides, although defence coach Easterby said he’s loving what the sport looks like now.
“I think it’s quite exciting,” said Easterby.
“The game has broken up a bit in the last year or 18 months, and there’s obviously been some high-scoring games in domestic competitions, but Test matches on the whole seem to be still pretty tight, and there’s less space.
“Now you can create that space through transition and kick contest, but I enjoy the game at the moment.
“I think it’s great, I think it’s challenging for defences, but it’s also giving us opportunities as well to try and get the ball back and try and impose ourselves physically as a defensive side.
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'It's very competitive' - Ireland get set to name first XV of tour
EVEN WITH CAPTAIN Caelan Doris missing through injury, the Irish back row looks competitive as ever.
Andy Farrell has usually turned to Jack Conan as the next in line at number eight, all the more so given that he brings leadership skills along with his ballast in contact.
Yet there have been nice selection options in the two flanker positions for Farrell, who is due to announce the Ireland match day 23 to face Australia early on Thursday morning Irish time.
Josh van der Flier is the incumbent at openside, but Nick Timoney had a big Six Nations this year, while the uncapped Bryn Ward is also in the squad on this Nations Championship tour.
Conan started Ireland’s most recent game at blindside flanker, so there will likely be a different face in that spot on Saturday in Sydney.
Connacht skipper Cian Prendergast has firmly put his hand up with his form for the western province, although Tadhg Beirne and Cormac Izuchukwu can also play at number six.
“The back row at the moment is very competitive,” said Ireland assistant coach Simon Easterby in Sydney.
“I think all of those guys, Cian, Nick, Sean, they’ve had very good seasons, and you want to make sure that that keeps pushing other guys, guys who are a little bit more experienced like your Josh, Jack, who have been here a little bit longer and obviously got a lot of caps.
“Then you’ve got players like Bryn Ward coming in, and he’s got that useful excitement about trying to push through the other guys.
“So I think it’s a real good mix at the moment in the back row. I think it’s strong, it’s competitive, and over the next couple of weeks I’m sure we’ll see more than one or two combinations.
“The more we can grow that depth and that experience over the next year, we’ll be in a much stronger place come the World Cup.”
The Irish second row looks in fine nick too, with James Ryan and Joe McCarthy having been in strong form for Leinster. Beirne missed the end of the season with Munster but has been training with Ireland over the past week, while Darragh Murray of Connacht and Izuchukwu are further options.
With Andrew Porter ruled out due to injury, Tom O’Toole is fancied to continue at loosehead prop, where Jeremy Loughman is also back in the mix after missing the end of the Six Nations, and where the uncapped Billy Bohan is now pushing.
Ireland will be captained by Dan Sheehan at hooker, where Rónan Kelleher has been playing excellent rugby recently. At tighthead, the combination of Tadhg Furlong and Thomas Clarkson is well established.
Similarly to Sheehan, scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park looks like a nailed-on selection, but Farrell will like the extra bit of competition Nathan Doak has brought in this area, where Craig Casey is well established as number two in the pecking order.
Sam Prendergast started at out-half for Ireland when they beat Australia 46–19 last November in Dublin, and he is presumably on for another outing at number 10 following his strong finish to Leinster’s season and the absence of the injured Jack Crowley.
It will be interesting to see which one of Ciarán Frawley or Harry Byrne features in the Irish 23.
Garry Ringrose is the first-choice pick at outside centre, but Farrell has lots of contenders at inside centre, as usual. Stuart McCloskey is the hugely in-form incumbent at number 12, although he missed the run-in to Ulster’s season with a hamstring injury.
McCloskey has been training with Ireland in Sydney, but Farrell has other options here in Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and Jamie Osborne. Henshaw and Osborne can also play at 13.
The highly versatile Osborne is an option for the Irish back three too, having impressed at fullback during the Six Nations this year.
However, Hugo Keenan has returned from injury and will surely be in the number 15 jersey, while Robert Baloucoune looks a must-pick on the right wing after his major impact for Ireland during the Six Nations.
The left wing slot has looked up for grabs with James Lowe’s time in Irish rugby over, so Farrell’s selection there will be intriguing.
The experienced Jacob Stockdale started there twice in the Six Nations, Jimmy O’Brien has been in flying form for Leinster, and the athletic, left-footed Osborne has already played on the left wing for Ireland against France in the 2025 Six Nations.
The versatility of Osborne, Frawley and O’Brien has given Farrell and co. the chance to consider various combinations on the Irish bench, which featured both 6/2 and 5/3 selections during the Six Nations.
Whatever about the personnel, Ireland hope to continue the momentum they finished the Six Nations with.
“We built through the Six Nations pretty well,” said Easterby.
“A good performance against Scotland [to clinch the Triple Crown]. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s important that we don’t take a step back and we keep pushing forward and keep getting better.”
That campaign started poorly for Ireland as they underperformed with a kick-heavy game plan away to France, but they played more exciting and effective rugby as the championship progressed.
The current shape of rugby seems to suit attack-minded sides, although defence coach Easterby said he’s loving what the sport looks like now.
“I think it’s quite exciting,” said Easterby.
“The game has broken up a bit in the last year or 18 months, and there’s obviously been some high-scoring games in domestic competitions, but Test matches on the whole seem to be still pretty tight, and there’s less space.
“Now you can create that space through transition and kick contest, but I enjoy the game at the moment.
“I think it’s great, I think it’s challenging for defences, but it’s also giving us opportunities as well to try and get the ball back and try and impose ourselves physically as a defensive side.
“So for me, it’s an exciting time.”
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